Georgia Geography – what GA land looks like

Location = either relative or absolute Relative location (depends on something else, the Mall is across the street from Target; to know how to get to the Mall, 1st you have to know where Target is) Absolute location (address is your exact spot for your house; latitude and longitude give an exact spot on Earth)

Georgia is located on the planet Earth. It is in the northern and the western hemisphere (half of the Earth). It can be found on the North American continent in the country of the United States of America. Georgia is located in the southeastern region of the USA. It is bordered by the states of Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama. Georgia has a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and is protected by barrier islands also called the Golden Isles.

Geographic Regions of GA – differences in the land of GA

Coastal Plain-largest region; divided into inner and outer coastal plain; Inner Coastal Plain = good farming region; Okefenokee Swamp; Barrier Islands; sandy soil (once under prehistoric ocean); bordered by Fall Line (area where elevation drops forming rapids in rivers) between Coastal Plain and Piedmont

Piedmont-2nd largest; foothills of Appalachian Mtns; largest population; granite based soil-Stone Mountain; Atlanta; Douglasville; bordered by Fall Line to south-largest producer of clay mineral Kaolin (glossy coating for magazines)

Blue Ridge-NE part of state; Appalachian Mtns; Brasstown Bald (highest point in GA); Chattahoochee River begins here

Ridge & Valley-valleys provide fertile farms divided by steep ridges; Dalton-carpet capital of the world; apple orchards-Ellijay

Appalachian Plateau-smallest region; TAG (Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia) Corner of the state; Appalachian Trail begins here and stretches north to Maine

GA Physical Features

Fall Line-area where hilly land meets flatter coastal plain; elevation drops; cities along line (Columbus, Macon, Augusta) used rapids from rivers as energy source for water powered mills

Okefenokee Swamp-largest freshwater swamp in North America; in Coastal Plain region of GA

Appalachian Mtns-north GA; part of Appalachian Plateau, Ridge & Valley, and Blue Ridge regions of GA; water source (rivers start here) and effects climate in state (cools air from Gulf creates precipitation or rain)

Chattahoochee River- runs from N. GA to Gulf of Mexico; forms western border with Alabama then runs through Florida; Water War with AL and FL over who gets to use water-in courts; major water source for GA

Instructions – Use the Geography notes above to answer the following questions.

1. In what two hemispheres is Georgia located?

2. Which of Georgia’s five regions has the highest population?

3. Which states border GA?

4. What type of location do latitude and longitude give?

5. Which region is the carpet capital of the world located?

6. Which of GA’s regions has the highest point of elevation and gets the most precipitation?

7. Which region in GA is the smallest and is the only source of coal?

8. Which region is the Okefenokee Swamp located in?

9. Which river forms GA’s western border with Alabama?

10. What physical feature protects GA’s coastline from damage from the ocean?